While there are many groups at Hope Church that provide a great deal of care and support for members, the Congregational Care Ministry seeks to support all persons in the Hope Church family in a caring, loving community of faith in all the events of life. The focus as a group of dedicated ministry members along with the pastors and the church nurse is to minister to both the needs and joys of the Hope Church family.
We seek to share loving care and encouragement with persons in seasons of loneliness, transition, illness, grief, disability, or simply the challenges of growing older—the body of Christ at Hope Church. We are also there to celebrate the joy of new births, birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, professions of faith and other events in the lives of God’s people.
In offering provisions for the journey of faith for persons who attend Hope Church, the ministry has assigned all members to one of twelve Care Groups, previously referred to as anchor groups. If you don’t know what group you are in, look behind your name in the Church Directory. Each Care Group is served by one or two members of the ministry team, as well as members of the Consistory. Ministry members stay informed of the special needs of persons in their groups and will arrange or provide meals, transportation or assistance as requested.
A special effort is made to maintain relationships with people who are no longer able to participate in church life. Besides personal visits, opportunities are arranged twice a year for communion to be given in their homes by the elders. Also persons are identified to receive flowers at Christmas and Easter.
Communication of peoples’ special needs is maintained between the church office, the pastors, the church nurse, the consistory and the ministry members. To assist people with transportation, the ministry provides a bus each Sunday morning to various locations in Holland, including Freedom Village and The Warm Friend.
As ministry members seek to promote engagement of persons in the life of the church, the ministry arranges for a time of sharing through coffee events three times a year at each of these three locations: Freedom Village, Warm Friend and Resthaven Maple Woods. The time of sharing is led by the pastors and members of the ministry.
The Health Ministry, which is part of the Congregational Care Ministry but functions separately, promotes health and healing in the life of faith to individuals and the congregation. That ministry will be further described in an upcoming ministry highlight.
Because the ministry tries to assign two persons to each of the twelve Care Groups, the Ministry is a large team and is always welcoming new members. While many people in the congregation have contributed to the ministry, it is presently served by:
Group 1: Jackie Heisler and Judy Mastenbrook
Group 2: Jan Fike and Nancy VandeWater
Group 3: Don Buteyn and Bette Williams
Group 4: Eloise VanHeest and Pat Tysee
Group 5: Barb Osborn and Fran Becker
Group 6: Stan and Nancy Rock, and Dave Boelkins (chairperson)
Group 7: Norma Killilea and Char Laman
Group 8: Phil VanEyl
Group 9: Jean Cook and Rose Mary Cantor
Group 10: Bob Bos
Group 11: Loretta Smith
Group 12: Barb Israels
Anyone interested in supporting this ministry is encouraged to contact any of the Congregational Care Ministry members listed above.